


Eternal Love

by mystic_believexx



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst with a Happy Ending, Biting, Human Louis, Implied Blood Drinking, Insecure Louis, M/M, Reincarnation, Sexual Content, Slightly Dark Harry, Soulmates, Vampire Harry, at times - Freeform, completed work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-29
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2018-09-20 16:22:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9499934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mystic_believexx/pseuds/mystic_believexx
Summary: “If this city weren’t full of idiots like you who think the world’s a safe place, I’d starve to death,” the man’s voice said, dark humour lacing the words.Louis had been dreaming of the green-eyed vampire for as long as he could remember; his mate from a lifetime past.The reality doesn’t go quite as expected…





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jacinth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jacinth/gifts).



> My first vampire fic! :) I would like to dedicate this to jacinth, whose fics inspired me to give the vampire/reincarnation trope a go. Thank you for encouraging me to write this last year and I’m sorry it took me this long. I hope it’s not too disappointing! <3 xx

_Louis felt lips slide against his in a demanding kiss. He wound his arms around the broad-shoulders of the man above him, moaning as his kisses moved further south, towards the part of him that was hard and aching for contact. The man chuckled, low and dark, refusing to give Louis the friction he so desperately needed._

_Hands trailed along his skin, leaving fire in their wake; teasing, on the verge of being too much and yet, not enough. Then came the teeth; two sharp points that pricked lightly against his neck, enough to leave a bruise but not to bleed…not yet._

_“Harry,” Louis could hardly recognise his own voice, hoarse with want._

_The green eyes returned to his face then, raw with desire. The fangs only added to the man’s beauty and Louis couldn’t stop himself from reaching up, tracing a finger over one elongated canine. Harry made a soft sound, almost a purr._

_“I love you.”_

_The words slipped out from Louis’ mouth, the way they always did. He hated himself for waiting a beat, a traitorous part of him clinging to the hope that one of these days, Harry would return the sentiment. He should know better by now, should know he wouldn’t get a reply. Still, his heart raced with rekindled hope when Harry’s eyes snapped open, a turmoil of emotions swirling in their dark depths._

_Before Louis could attempt to figure out what any of it meant, a large hand settled on his hip and he was coaxed into another kiss. This one was softer, Harry suckling on his bottom lip before the tip of one fang grazed over the tender skin. Louis’ hands tangled in the soft strands of his lover’s hair and then came the heated whisper, a trace of possessiveness lacing the words._

_“You are mine.”_

_It wasn’t what Louis wanted to hear but his body didn’t care, arching further into the vampire’s touch as a hand finally, **finally** wrapped around his leaking cock._

_“Harry,” Louis moaned out, body pressing closer, “Please?”_

_His back arched, eyes fluttering shut. It was instinct to bare his neck. Harry gave an approving groan, sucking love bites along his jaw. He loved to mark him, Louis knew. Some days, that was enough; some days, it helped him forget the fact that Harry still refused to turn him._

_“P..please,” Louis let out an exasperated sound that turned into a whimper when he felt teeth trail along the exposed skin of his neck._

_“Mine,” the soft murmur reached Louis’ ear._

_The hand on his cock stroked faster, causing the heat inside him to build to a crescendo. He tilted his head to the side, trembling with pleasure as the vampire’s teeth nibbled against his skin, teasingly._

_“H..Harry,” Louis’ voice came out shaky, his mind half-consumed by the sensations his body was experiencing._

_“Look at you,” came Harry’s husky reply._

_Louis opened his mouth to mumble that he loved him but Harry chose that moment to lean down and connect their lips in a harsh, possessive kiss. A final pull of Harry’s hand along his cock was all Louis needed before he felt himself come, crying out with pleasure. Teeth bit into his neck and Louis moaned out loud, finally content._

 

Louis sat up in bed, groaning as he felt the stickiness in his pants. He had been having similar dreams since he was thirteen years old but never this often. 

This was the fourth night in a row he had woken up to a ruined pair of pyjamas, the remnants of his dream still playing in his head.

“I really need to get laid,” he muttered to himself as he got out of bed to clean himself up.

He was nineteen years old, for fuck’s sake! It was borderline embarrassing to admit that he was still a virgin, whose entire sexual knowledge repertoire came from porn. It was no wonder, Louis thought, that he was having such explicit dreams. 

When he finally got back in bed, he could still feel a lingering warmth on his skin and the remnants of a phantom kiss against his neck. Louis pushed it away as a part of his overactive imagination but the image of green eyes still followed him into sleep.

__________________________________________

 

“Louis, do we have to?” Liam’s voice was coming dangerously close to a whine, which was the last thing Louis wanted to deal with tonight.

“Yes we do, Payno. Not _all_ of us can be lucky enough to have an Armani model of a boyfriend to take care of our needs,” Louis snapped, casting a glance at Zayn, who smirked and looked as fucking perfect as usual! 

Zayn really could have been a model but for some reason, the twenty year old insisted on working as a librarian. Then again, Louis supposed Liam was thankful for Zayn’s career choice because that was how they had met. 

In the darkened shelves of the ancient town library, surrounded by dusty and unopened books, Liam had found his Prince Charming. Great. Romantic. Picturesque, even. Louis hated them both, especially at times like this when they were too busy being lost in each other’s eyes to perform their wingmen duties!

“Enough with the disgustingly cute PDA,” Louis stated, raising his hand to order another beer. “I came to this bar to find someone who can give me a memorable fuck and you two are not going to ruin that for me!”

“We weren’t even doing anything,” Liam muttered, blushing despite his words.

Zayn gave Louis a worried glance.  
“You sure you’re ready to…you know…” he trailed off. 

Louis rolled his eyes.

“Zayn, I have been ready to lose my virginity from the time I was sixteen.”

He almost had at a party, once. But something had felt wrong at the time and Louis had changed his mind.

Liam tutted in sympathy but Zayn still looked wary.

“But are you absolutely _sure_ you want to do it this way?” he asked, “With some stranger you pick up at a bar? Your first time should be special, Lou.”

“You offering your services, Z?” Louis joked, laughing when Liam moved himself off the bar stool and onto Zayn’s lap. 

Zayn rolled his eyes at Liam’s display of possessiveness but he still slipped his arms around his boyfriend of two years and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“I just don’t want you to get hurt or regret this in the morning,” Zayn answered, “First times can be…emotional. If you end up developing…”

“Feelings?” Louis scoffed, rolling his eyes. He was under no illusions here.

“You laugh now but it _could_ happen and one night stands aren’t going to stick around to cuddle with you in the morning if it does. All I’m saying is, you don’t need to rush into anything.”

Louis sighed.

“I appreciate the concern. I really do. But I’m certain about this. I can’t take any more of…” _the dreams_ , Louis thought but what he said out loud was, “this itch under my skin. I’m not looking for a relationship. I just want to have a bit of fun!”

Liam leaned over to squeeze his shoulder in a gesture of support. 

“Well then,” Zayn gently moved Liam and stood up, “Let’s find you the hottest fucker in this place!”

Louis grinned, downing his drink in one go. That’s what he liked to hear!

______________________________

 

The man’s name was Reece…or maybe it was Rick. Louis hadn’t really paid all that much attention after the guy had put his hands on Louis’ waist, grinding his hips against the swell of the younger boy’s arse. It was a pathetic attempt at dancing but it was still doing things to Louis’ lower extremities. 

“What do you say we get outta here?” Reece/Rick guy murmured in his ear, thrusting his obvious erection a bit harder against Louis to make sure he didn’t miss it.

“I…” Louis’ mouth felt dry.  
This was what he had wanted, right? So why did the prospect of going home with this guy not seem as appealing as it had ten minutes ago?

The man moved one hand from Louis’ waist to the slight bulge of his jeans, rubbing it enticingly as he waited for Louis’ answer. 

“Y..yeah. Okay”, Louis finally nodded and the man wasted no time, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the club. 

Louis caught Liam’s eye as he left and smiled at the subtle thumbs-up his friend was giving him. Zayn too, was smiling, so this guy must have passed their ‘not a serial killer’ test.

“My place or yours?” Louis asked the man, trying his best to sound as if he knew what he was talking about.

“Mine’s just a couple blocks over,” the man answered, placing his arm on Louis’ hip as he steered them towards a cab. 

Louis nodded, gulping down his panic. Why was he worried? This was it. He was finally going to get a release for all his pent-up sexual tension!

Except, as the man flagged down a cab, Louis got the strong sense that something was _wrong_. Try as he might, he couldn’t shake off the feeling.

“Actually,” Louis stopped walking, “I..I’ve changed my mind. I don’t think this is such a good idea.”

“What? Come on, babe. I’ll make you feel real good,” the man said, reaching towards the rapidly deflating bulge in Louis’ pants. 

Louis shook him off and turned away, starting to run in the opposite direction.

“Sorry!” he called over his shoulder and the only reply he got was loud cursing followed by a string of insults.

He kept running though, hardly paying attention to where he was going, just needing to get away from the man and the strange feeling of wrongness. He only slowed down when he turned onto a street that looked mostly deserted and completely unfamiliar. The place looked as if it were part of a horror movie, Louis thought nonsensically. Even the street lamps were flickering, as if fighting against an invisible wave of darkness.

Louis slowed his pace and glanced around him, groaning as he realised he was well and truly lost. Had he taken a left or a right at the last corner? Which way was the club he’d left?

He grabbed his phone out of his pocket but for some reason, there was no signal to call Liam or Zayn.

“Well, this is just fucking fantastic,” he muttered under his breath, shaking his phone as if that might somehow cause it to pick up a signal. 

And then, because Louis apparently had the shittiest luck on the planet, a hand clamped over his mouth, muffling his attempted scream for help. He tried to resist as he was dragged into an alley and pushed against the cold wall. The figure that pinned him there wore a dark hoodie, hiding his face from Louis’ gaze.

“If this city weren’t full of idiots like you who think the world’s a safe place, I’d starve to death,” the man’s voice said, dark humour lacing the words. 

But it wasn’t the words that made Louis’ eyes widen. It was the voice. A deep drawl that was as familiar to him as his own.

The memories from his past life hit him in a rush. Things Louis had considered nothing more than dreams suddenly came back in vivid detail. Harry. His lover, his mate, his _everything_.

“If you try to scream, I _will_ end your life before you get the chance to get a word out. Do you understand?” 

Louis knew the words were meant to be threatening, knew that the vampire in front of him was more than capable of carrying out that threat, but he clearly had no self-preservation skills for instead of nodding, he rolled his eyes and scoffed. Or tried to scoff. It was muffled behind Harry’s hand.

Harry growled, his other hand curling around Louis’ throat in a firm grip that was intended to be a warning. It became harder to breathe but Louis’ body seemed to like the feeling and, embarrassingly, began to react to the touch. He couldn’t stop himself from shivering slightly.

Harry noticed immediately, of course. His movements, which until now had oozed fierceness, suddenly seemed uncertain. The hand on his throat eased up a tad, almost as if he were testing Louis, waiting to see if he would run.

But that was the last thing Louis wanted! He’d waited for years for this without knowing exactly what it was that he’d been waiting for. This man’s touch. The only touch his body readily welcomed.

Slowly, Harry moved his hand to the skin under Louis’ ear, stroking it with the pad of his thumb and Louis couldn’t help the way his head fell back, exposing his neck to the vampire’s gaze. Fingers trailed along the side of his throat, thumbing at his pulse point, in an unconscious gesture.

“Who are you?” Harry asked, eyes narrowed and fixed on Louis.

He eased his hold on the younger boy, keeping only one hand pressed against Louis’ shoulder to ensure he wouldn’t run. 

“Louis,” he managed to whisper, glancing up at the hooded figure.

Harry took a sharp intake of breath and suddenly, the hands holding him were gone and Harry was backing away. Almost as if he were…scared. 

“H..Harry?” Louis questioned softly, his voice hoarse from the brief seconds he had been in direct contact with Harry’s skin.

In fact, right this minute, he wanted nothing more than to have Harry’s hands on him, exploring every inch of his body. He knew Harry had to be feeling the same way, had to be experiencing this insistent pull, but the vampire had stopped moving, frozen to the spot the moment Louis had spoken.

“Harry,” Louis repeated, his voice gaining confidence when he noticed that Harry’s hands were trembling.

Just from the sound of his name on Louis’ lips. 

But then, the vampire pulled down his hoodie and his green eyes looked… _furious_!

“No,” Harry hissed the word, staring at Louis accusingly, “How dare you come back now? I don’t want you!”

For the first time since he had seen Harry, Louis felt the chill of the night air hit his skin.

“Harry, I-”

“ _Don’t_! Do not say my name,” Harry growled but instead of fear, all Louis felt was sadness; a deep, cutting grief.

“But y..you told me I was yours,” Louis heard the tearful desperation in his own voice.

He took a step forward, towards his mate from a lifetime past, reaching out a hand.

Harry’s eyes shifted to his outstretched hand. For just a second, Louis thought he would take it but when he glanced up, Harry’s eyes were cold. Lifeless.

“I lied,” Harry stated in an emotionless tone.

It took Louis a beat to respond.

“No! I was…I’m yours,” Louis croaked out, stepping forward blindly but Harry simply took another step back, letting his fangs drop.

Louis froze, mesmerised by the gleaming whites. His neck prickled with the memory of them pressed against his skin. He wondered what they would look like, stained with red as Harry fed from him. Louis gulped as he realised he _wanted_ that. Possibly… _needed_ it.

“You were one in a long line of lovers,” Harry’s voice cut into his thoughts, jolting him back to reality, “Just a time pass for someone who is doomed with an eternal existence. It was fun but it’s over. Has been for fifty years.”

Fifty years… 

His dreams had never given him any indication of how long ago those memories had been formed. Actually, they explained very little except for how he felt when Harry touched him and how he made Harry feel. But that knowledge wasn’t helping him in the slightest right now.

“I don’t believe you,” Louis stated, his voice only shaking by the smallest amount when the vampire’s gaze landed on him again.

“What?” Harry’s eyes narrowed, his fangs gleaming in the moonlight as he spoke.

“I don’t believe you lied. I think I meant a lot to you. That I still mean more to you than you let on.”

Harry’s eyes hardened and he chuckled, a chilling sound that bounced off the stone walls of the alley. For the first time since he had recognised the man as Harry, Louis felt a small tendril of fear creep through him.

“Why would you not believe me?” Harry questioned, mockingly, looking every bit the predator he was, “I’m a monster. Lying is second nature to me.”

Louis shook his head but there were tears in his eyes now. He forced himself to blink them back. He wasn’t going to embarrass himself any more than he already had.

“You wouldn’t,” he whispered back, “Not to me. You wouldn’t have lied to me.”

Harry just gave him an amused smirk.

“But I did, William. And now I’m speaking the truth. You mean nothing to me. You never did.” 

Harry’s words were like knives, taking Louis’ soul and cutting it up into tiny pieces so that it could never be put back again in quite the same way.

A part of him wanted to beg the vampire not to leave him, another part wanted to shout and throw things at the man but Louis did neither of those things. Because the quiet confidence he had held when his memories returned to him were now immersed in a fog of doubt.

“Do you make a habit of remembering the names of everyone you met fifty years ago who meant nothing to you?” Louis asked, forcing himself to sound more put-together than he felt.

Harry’s lips curled back into what might have almost been a smile before the vampire controlled the expression.

“I have a remarkable memory,” he replied, eyes uncaring.

Louis thought about it. Yes, Harry had been possessive of him in his past life. He had whispered endearments in his ear, had left marks on Louis’ skin to stake his claim, had threatened anyone who had looked at Louis twice, had constantly told him he belonged to Harry and Harry alone. But there was one thing the vampire had never done. He had never told him he loved him.

The reminder of that, combined with Harry’s cold gaze, clogged up Louis’ throat.

His voice came out a choked whisper when he said, “Then you should be able to remember that my name’s Louis now. Not William.”

A smirk graced Harry’s lips.

“Louis,” he murmured.

Perhaps it was a trick of the light but Louis thought he saw Harry’s eyes soften for an instant before they became indifferent again, “I won’t need to remember it because we will never meet again, human.”

Before Louis could respond, the vampire turned on his heels and left the alley, moving at superhuman speed. To put it bluntly, he appeared to be running away from Louis and the only reason Louis could think of for that was that Harry found him to be repulsive. 

Louis had always known his body wasn’t perfect. His curves were too prominent, his arse was too big and his stomach refused to become toned, no matter how many weights he attempted to lift at the gym. Still, to have his insecurities confirmed by his mate of all people was…Louis struggled not to cry.

By the time he had composed himself and left the alley, Harry was nowhere to be seen. The vampire’s message was clear enough- _I don’t want you_. Louis couldn’t blame him really.

As he walked back to his flat, Louis finally let the tears he’d been holding at bay fall. He didn’t know why it hurt quite so much but his entire body ached, a low, throbbing pain that he knew no amount of painkillers would dull. It was the pain of rejection.

That night, for the first time in six years, Louis didn’t dream of curly hair or green eyes. He didn’t dream at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	2. II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos and comments on the last chapter! I didn't spend much time editing this one so I apologise in advance for any mistakes :)
> 
> _Please note_ : this chapter contains a very short scene that involves elements of non-con. There’s nothing too graphic but please take care when reading <3 xx

It had been three days since Louis had come face to face with Harry. It was pathetic, really, just how badly being rejected by the vampire had affected him. If he could have gone back to that night, he’d have jumped in the cab with Rick or Reece or whatever the fuck the guy was called!

Since it was the third day of Louis’ self-imposed isolation from the outside world, it wasn’t much of a surprise when his door suddenly slammed open, courtesy of Zayn and a safety pin. 

“Louis!” Liam’s voice was the first to reach him.

He saw Liam push past his boyfriend and run to where Louis lay on the couch, covered by a blanket with crusty bits of food littered around him. Huh. When had he eaten? 

“Oh my god! I will fucking _kill_ that guy! What did he do, Louis? Tell me where I can find the fucker!”

Zayn’s voice was slightly calmer but there was still something akin to anger in there.

“I knew it was a bad idea to let you go home with him. What happened? Did he try to force you to-”

“No! God, no,” Louis finally snapped out when Liam forcefully pulled the blanket away from him. “It wasn’t..I didn’t end up going home with him.”

Both Liam and Zayn paused in their righteous anger to exchange a confused look.

“You…didn’t?” Zayn asked with a frown.

“No,” Louis mumbled, “It didn’t feel…I don’t know. I was being stupid, I guess.”

“Hold on,” Liam joined in, “So if it wasn’t anything to do with the guy then why have you been avoiding us for the last three days?”

“I wasn’t avoiding you,” Louis replied.

Technically, he was telling the truth. He hadn’t been avoiding Liam and Zayn specifically. He’d just been avoiding the world at large.

“Your phone’s been turned off. You look like you haven’t showered in three days. Your flat stinks-”

“I get it!” Louis cut Liam off with a frown.

“We just want to know what’s wrong, Louis,” Zayn stated, softly.

Louis shrugged, hoping they’d take the hint and not push it.

Liam opened his mouth to say something more but Zayn was perceptive enough to intervene, “Let’s order Chinese! I’m starving. Have you got any more superhero movies?”

Louis nodded, throwing Zayn a grateful smile as he successfully distracted Liam. In fact, despite not having much of an appetite, Louis actually felt somewhat better by the end of movie night. 

“Want to talk about it?” Zayn asked softly as the end credits played.

Louis stared at the screen, not wanting to see the worried looks in his friends’ eyes.

“Nah. I’m fine…I’ll _be_ fine,” Louis amended when Liam made a sound of disbelief, “I just have a few things I need to think over, is all.”

“Well, I’m working tomorrow so if you need me, you know where to find me,” Zayn answered.

“I’ll be in lectures all morning but call me anytime. I can get here within ten minutes,” Liam added.

Louis gave both of his friends a genuine smile, pulling them into a group hug that lasted a few beats longer than usual. Liam and Zayn always knew how to make him feel better, even if it was only temporarily. 

“Whatever it is, you’ll figure it out,” Liam said when the hug finally ended, “And seriously, please take a bath.”

Louis chuckled as he let them out. If only they knew that there wasn’t much to figure out about his soulmate rejecting him. Nothing but hurt and confusion lay that way so Louis did what he did best. Put it out of his mind in favour of playing another round of FIFA on his Playstation.

______________________________

Two months on, things hadn’t gotten any easier. 

Louis didn’t sleep anymore. He drowsed, on and off, tossing and turning. That was why he opened his eyes the moment he heard his bedroom window sliding open.

He sat up in bed and flicked on the light, grabbing his pillow and holding it in front of him like a shield.

“You plannin’ on hittin’ me with that thing?” 

Louis stared at the blond-haired boy perched on his window sill. His blue eyes seemed adorably confused, as if he had no idea why Louis would attack him.

“That depends,” Louis cleared his throat to say, “Are you about to tell me you’re my friendly neighbourhood Spiderman?”

The boy, who looked no older than seventeen, laughed, his teeth flashing and…holy shit!

“Get the fuck out of my house!” Louis screeched, scrambling off the bed and positioning himself so it was between him and the vampire, acting as a physical barrier.

The boy at the window frowned, as if he were disappointed by Louis’ reaction, before sighing.

“Calm down, mate. I couldn’t hurt you if I wanted to. Under strict orders from my Sire.”

“Your…Sire?”

“Yep!” the vampire grinned again, slipping off the window sill and onto the carpeted floor of Louis’ bedroom. “Well, he’s technically not the one who turned me but he took care of me when I was a newborn vamp so he’s the closest to a Sire I’ve got. My name’s Niall, by the way. And you’re obviously Louis.”

“Obviously,” Louis echoed, weakly.

Niall had a childish enthusiasm about him and the longer he spoke, the more Louis became certain that he wasn’t a threat.

“Took me a while to find you. Harry wouldn’t even tell me your name, the possessive brat!”

Louis’ heartbeat sped up, even as his stomach plummeted.

“Harry?” he asked, hating the way his body responded at the mere thought of the older vampire.

“Yeah. He’s been pining. Hasn’t fed in months.”

Louis blinked. Was Niall suggesting…? But Harry had told him he wanted nothing to do with him. He’d rejected him in that alley and hadn’t made contact since!

“That’s why I’m here,” Niall continued, his cheery demeanour fading, “We can only go for stretches of about nine weeks without feeding and Harry’s cutting it close. _Too_ close. I’ve never seen him like this.”

Louis swallowed, throwing his pillow back on the bed and looking away from the blonde.

“I don’t see how that’s any of my concern,” he answered, “He’s a stranger to me.”

In this life, anyway.

“You and him have a bond,” Niall levelled Louis with an unimpressed look, “He’s no stranger.”

Might as well be for the amount of attention Harry had paid him.

“I don’t care about him.”

It was a blatant lie but he wasn’t going to give Harry another opportunity to reject him. 

Niall scoffed.

“What a load of bullshit!” he glared at Louis, “You can’t sit there and tell me you don’t care about what happens to your mate.”

“That’s _exactly_ what I’m telling you.”

Niall gave him a look of disbelief.

“Look, I know Harry can be an idiot sometimes but trust me. Whatever he said to you, he didn’t mean it. He loves you.”

Louis bit back a bitter laugh.

“He does!” Niall insisted.

“Just…leave me alone. Please?” Louis’ voice came out exhausted.

He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t sit here and talk about his feelings for Harry. If Niall kept at it, he knew he would give in and all the hurt and grief he had managed to somewhat block out over the last month would hit him again. Louis refused to shed any more tears over Harry Styles!

“Fine,” Niall muttered after a long pause, “You’re both as stubborn as each other.”

He shifted back to the window and paused with one leg on the ledge.

“You know, I met Harry about a year after your death,” he said, quietly, not meeting Louis’ eyes, “I later found out that he had been trying to end his existence back then. When he saw me and realised I would need a mentor, he held off on the attempted suicide. For a self-proclaimed monster, he can be pretty fucking selfless.”

The thought of Harry trying to end himself made Louis shiver unpleasantly. 

“He got better at coping with the grief after the first decade but we never stayed in one place for more than a week or two. Harry wouldn’t allow it. He said it was dangerous to get attached. That it only ended in heartbreak.”

“What’s your point, Niall?” Louis asked, tiredly.

“We’ve been in this city for two and a half months now,” Niall told him, “It’s the longest we’ve resided anywhere. Harry’s usually careful about these things. He never risks raising anyone’s suspicion about how two men who aren’t working manage to afford rent but whenever I ask him about moving now, he just shrugs it off or changes the topic. Do you know what’s different this time?”

“You’re here,” Niall continued before Louis had a chance to answer, “You’re here and no matter how much he pretends not to care, he can’t bring himself to leave you behind. He loves you, Louis. Hell, you’re the only person he’s _capable_ of loving.”

“Then why did he ask me to leave him alone?” Louis found himself asking before he could stop his mouth.

“Do you remember how you died?” Niall asked.

“I…” Louis blinked. 

He had no memories of his past life after the age of twenty. He had clearly died young.

“The town you lived in found out what Harry was,” Niall filled in the blanks, “They wanted to burn him at the stake and you-”

“Told them they’d have to kill me first,” Louis’ eyes widened with horror as flashes of memories rushed through him, “Th..they said if I protected a monster, I deserved the same punishment.”

“He tried to save you but it was too late,” Niall finished off the story.

And Louis remembered. He remembered the panic giving way to a calm acceptance. He remembered the regret he had felt as he looked across the town square to see Harry, bound in chains and forced to watch his lover’s execution. 

_I’m sorry_ , he had mouthed to the stricken vampire, _I love you_. 

Death, in itself, had been painless but Harry’s snarl of anguish had been the last sound Louis had heard.

“He killed them all,” Niall’s voice brought him back to the present, away from those dark memories, “The whole town. Wiped them out.”

He fixed Louis with an intense look. 

“Harry loves you but being his lover brought you death. Isn’t it obvious why he won’t let you get close to him again? Why he won’t risk it?”

“He thinks he’ll hurt me,” Louis whispered, eyes widening with understanding.

Niall nodded.  
“He believes that he brings nothing but death to those he cares about. He’d rather bear the pain of not having you than face the anguish of losing you again.”

Louis pulled at his hair in frustration, “That’s not his decision to make! Don’t I get a say in this?”

“Try telling him that,” Niall replied, climbing onto the window sill and preparing to slip out.

“Wait!” Louis took a step forward, “Where is he? How do I find him?”

Niall shrugged.

“I’ve got no clue. He never tells me where he goes but if anyone can find him, it’s you.”

Then, with a final wave, the blonde vampire slipped out of the window and vanished into the night.

Louis sighed.

How the hell was he supposed to find an elusive vampire? 

Louis smirked as an idea came to him. Maybe he didn’t. Maybe, he just had to encourage Harry to find _him_.

______________________________

 

“Louis,” Liam gave him a worried look, “I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“Trust me, Li,” Louis murmured, taking a sip of his colourful and overbearingly sweet cocktail, “I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you?” Liam glanced around the seedy bar with an obvious air of discomfort, “Because the last time you tried to hook up with someone, we had to break into your apartment to make sure you were still alive!”

“It’s different this time,” Louis answered, catching the eye of the man who had been watching him ever since he walked in, “This time, I know _exactly_ what I want.”

“Him?” Liam looked thoroughly unimpressed as he studied the muscular guy, who had tattoos covering every available surface of skin and at least five piercings. 

It probably didn’t help that the guy was licking his lips while staring lasciviously at Louis. 

“Lou, he looks like he could be a serial killer.”

Louis hummed thoughtfully.

“You’re right. He’s perfect!”

“You’ve gone _mad_!” Liam exclaimed when Louis got up from his seat and started walking towards the guy.

“Don’t worry, Li,” Louis promised him, turning around to give him a smile, “I’ll text you in the morning.”

He left the gaping Liam behind and made his way towards the man, who stood up straighter when he realised Louis was heading for him.

“How about you give me a dance, love?” Louis smiled at the man, batting his eyelashes. 

It seemed to be enough, for the guy accepted the invitation easily and led him onto the dance floor. As it turned out, the man was even sleazier than Louis had assumed. His hands kept wandering far too close to his arse for comfort. 

Louis was relieved when, two songs in, the man whispered in his ear, “Let’s get out of here, baby.”

He didn’t protest as the stranger pushed him out of the club.

“You live nearby?” the man, whose name Louis had neither asked nor cared about, said.

“Yeah, just a few blocks away.” He pulled the man away from the cab he was heading towards. “I’d rather walk, if you don’t mind.”

The guy looked surprised but shrugged it off, a disturbing smirk on his face as he said, “Whatever rocks your boat, baby.”

Louis had to put up with five more minutes of groping and progressively more lewd innuendos, until they finally reached the area Louis had been heading for.

“You live in this dump?” the man asked, momentarily distracted from his mission to take off Louis’ jumper.

“No,” Louis answered honestly, heading towards the alley, “But no one comes out here so…”

He let his comment linger in the air until he heard the man’s sharp intake of breath.

“Kinky,” the guy breathed, following Louis into the alley.

It appeared to be empty. Louis cleared his throat but no one swooped in to interrupt. 

Louis was starting to get nervous now. Maybe this hadn’t been the smartest thing to do but he’d just assumed…

When the guy pushed him up against the wall, he felt the fear start to claw at his rib cage. _Of course_ Harry had better things to do than mooch around an alley all night! This was, without a doubt, the single most idiotic thing Louis had ever done!

“Um,” Louis swallowed when the guy pressed a wet kiss to his jaw, one that made him want to get as far away from the man as possible, “Look, I don’t think I’m actually ready for-”

“Shut up, kid,” the man growled when Louis turned his face away, “You’ve been teasing me all night and I ain’t leaving without getting what you promised me.”

Louis hadn’t, in fact, promised anything. He started to squirm and the man grabbed his wrists to still him.

Oh god. Liam would kill him! Well, this guy would probably kill him first but Liam would definitely make sure Louis’ tombstone said something to acknowledge how utterly stupid he had been. 

He took a deep breath. Panicking wouldn’t help him.

Louis saw the opportunity present itself and tried to duck under the man’s arm but the guy was stronger. He tightened his grip on Louis’ wrist, his other hand moving up to hold his jaw.

“Stay still, you fucking-”

The man’s words cut off abruptly. Louis felt the guy’s grip loosen and the next second, Louis was falling to the ground, the man who had been keeping him against the wall no longer in front of him.

Louis blinked, breathing hard as he glanced around the alley. It only took him a second to spot him.

Harry had his elbow pressed against the man’s throat and he was snarling at the guy, fangs out and on prominent display.

“Scum like you don’t deserve to live,” Harry was hissing at the terrified guy, “I’d be doing the world a fucking service!”

Louis managed to stand up on shaky legs.

“H..Harry, don’t! He’s-“

Louis cut himself off when he saw that the man now lay crumpled at Harry’s feet.

“Wh..what did you do to him?”

“Nothing. He fainted,” Harry muttered, unimpressed.

His gaze moved from the guy’s limp form to Louis, zeroing in on the younger boy’s rumpled appearance. Before Louis could say anything, Harry was there, running his hands over every part of Louis he could reach.

“Did he hurt you?” the vampire snarled and just having Harry this close brought with it a warm feeling of safety.

“N..no,” he managed to say before Harry’s lips were on his, harsh, desperate and possessive.

Louis wasn’t sure which of them moaned but suddenly, Harry’s tongue was swiping at his lips, urging him to open up. He gave in easily, his fingernails digging into Harry’s back as the vampire explored his mouth with his tongue. 

Harry pulled back after a while, only to growl, “Are you _trying_ to get yourself killed?”

He didn’t give Louis time to answer, barely gave him time to catch his breath before his lips crashed down on Louis’ again. Louis mewled into his mouth and Harry groaned, his arms tightening around the younger boy. His other hand moved up to frame Louis’ jaw, titling his head up for a better angle before kissing him even harder, wiping away the memory of all kisses before it.

“Harry,” Louis gasped out when the vampire started to trail biting kisses along his jaw and then, lower. 

Harry’s tongue swiped at Louis’ pulse point and, almost without conscious thought, Louis tilted his head back, giving the vampire unrestricted access.

“Louis,” Harry moaned out the words against his skin, his mouth sucking marks on his neck as if he couldn’t help it.

“You’re always so-” Harry took a shuddering breath, trailed his lips along Louis’ neck. 

Louis shivered and let out a soft cry when he felt the first hint of fangs trailing along his neck. Harry somehow managed to get himself under control, for the fangs had slipped away by the time his lips made their way back up to Louis’ mouth, pressing a kiss there that was more gentle than any of the others had been.

When he looked at Louis, the green eyes held a different emotion in them, one that was familiar from all the memories of his past life. One that Louis now recognised to be love.

“I dreamt about you, you know,” Louis murmured, his voice coming out raspy and Harry’s hands dug into his hips.

“I…” Harry’s voice was thick, clouded with emotion, “I didn’t know. I thought it was only me.”

Louis opened his mouth to answer but a faint groan had them both turning around to face the man from the club, who was starting to come to. 

“Harry, let’s just go,” Louis grabbed onto the vampire’s arm when he noticed that Harry’s body had gone rigid.

“Go and wait for me in the car,” Harry said, the words coming out with an edge of danger, “I have something I need to take care of first.”

“Harry-” Louis tried to protest but the vampire turned to him with a soft growl.

“The car,” Harry repeated, handing Louis a set of keys, “It’s red. You can’t miss it.”

“But-”

“Louis,” Harry said with a note of warning. 

Louis took a step back, clutching the car keys in his palm. He bit his lip, hesitated.

Harry watched him, head tilted slightly to the side, half his focus still on the stirring man.

“Just…please don’t kill him,” Louis finally whispered.

Harry didn’t answer except to flick his eyes towards the entrance of the alley.

Louis decided that arguing right now would not be the smartest idea. He felt Harry’s eyes watching him as he left. 

The car, as Harry had stated, was impossible to miss. It was blood red and the only car in the area that hadn’t been scratched or broken into. There was a sticker on the windscreen of a pair of fangs with the words ‘I literally suck’, written on them.

“Subtle,” Louis muttered to himself, opening the door. 

He climbed into the passenger seat and shut the door behind him, glancing back at the alley. He couldn’t see what was happening in there from his current position. Still, he prayed that Harry wouldn’t kill the guy. He knew it was a long shot. Based on his past memories of Harry, the vampire showed no mercy to anyone that touched what was his. 

Louis bit his lip. Would Harry still consider him to be his? He wrapped his arms around himself and curled up on the seat. He would find out soon enough, he supposed.

______________________________

Louis woke up to the feel of someone stroking his hair. He tilted his head into the touch but blinked awake when he heard a soft chuckle.

He looked up to see familiar green eyes staring down at him. It took Louis another moment to realise he was no longer in the car but laid out on a bed. 

“Shit! Did I fall asleep?” he asked, his face turning red.

What a great impression to make! He tried to sit up but Harry’s hands landed on his shoulders, pushing him back down.

“You need the rest. You were exhausted,” Harry answered, the skin of his forehead furrowing, “Why were you exhausted?”

Louis bit his lip and looked away from the vampire’s concerned gaze. There was no way he was going to tell him that the reason for his lack of sleep had been Harry’s rejection. 

Harry let out a soft hissing sound before standing up from the bed and taking three steps back.

“Harry? What-?”

“Even when I try to protect you, I only bring you pain,” Harry’s eyes were filled with anger and self-loathing.

“No!” Louis protested, scrambling out of bed, “That’s not true at all!”

He started to stand, to walk towards Harry but he must have been more tired than he thought for his knees buckled beneath him. Before he could hit the floor, however, Harry was there, scooping him up into his arms.

“Still tiny,” Louis heard the vampire murmur under his breath.

He pouted in reply, laying his head against Harry’s shoulder as he was carried back to bed. 

“Sleep,” Harry murmured, tucking Louis in.

“You need to feed,” Louis struggled to stay awake but he managed to tilt his head to the side, exposing his neck.

Harry’s fingers brushed over Louis’ pulse.

“Don’t worry,” Harry whispered, licking his lips, “I already took care of that.”

Louis blinked, face going pale as the meaning of the vampire’s words sunk in.

“The man,” Louis breathed out, trying to sit up, “You didn’t…did you?”

Harry gently pushed him back down, pulling the blankets up around him.

“I left him alive,” he finally answered, “Barely. He’ll have no memory of the incident but he’ll think twice before trying to force himself on someone.”

Louis nodded, absently tracing his fingers over a small tattoo on Harry’s upper arm. 

“This is new,” he murmured, studying the ink, which spelled out the words ‘amor aeternus’, “What does it mean?”

“Eternal love,” Harry answered, eyes flicking between the tattoo and Louis.

“Is it…about me?” Louis asked, hesitantly.

Harry didn’t answer but his hand brushed over Louis’ pulse again, reverently. 

“Sleep,” Harry repeated, stroking Louis’ hair back from his eyes.

“Stay with me,” Louis mumbled back.

Harry studied him for a long moment before finally, letting out a sigh of defeat. Louis managed to stay awake long enough to feel the bed dip as Harry slipped into position behind him. By the time the vampire’s arm wrapped around his waist, Louis was fast asleep.

______________________________

The next time Louis opened his eyes, Harry was sitting at the foot of the bed, watching him.

“Very Edward Cullen of you,” Louis yawned.

A small frown appeared on Harry’s forehead.

“What?”

“Never mind,” Louis waved the vampire’s question away.

Harry watched him quietly for another minute before suddenly blurting out, “You’re my mate.”

Louis blinked.

“I…know? I mean, I remember.”

Harry looked unsure.

“Everything?” he asked, softly.

Louis nodded.

“Everything.”

Louis bit his lip then decided to be honest.

“Harry, I’ve been dreaming about you since I was thirteen. I know you don’t want to hurt me but I need you to know that I never blamed you for what happened to me in my last life. I…I was just sorry you had to go through that…seeing me die.”

Harry looked away and, for a few seconds, Louis thought he was going to shut him out again. 

“It was the worst moment of my existence,” Harry suddenly said in a fierce whisper, “I felt as if my heart had been staked a hundred times over. The pain was…indescribable.”

Louis tried not to wince at the thought.

“After the first two decades, I shut off my emotions. It was easier to not feel at all than to live with that kind of pain,” Harry continued, “And then I met you again. I tried to be angry, tried to push you away but you’ve always had this way of getting under my skin. I couldn’t forget you and I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving.”

His eyes met Louis’, reeling the boy in the way they always had. Louis wasn’t even aware he had moved until he was suddenly in Harry’s lap, the vampire cradling his face between his hands.

“Being with me only brought you death,” Harry told him, his thumbs stroking along Louis’ cheek, “And if I were any less selfish, I would beg you not to make the same mistake again. I would let you go.”

“I don’t want to go,” Louis whispered back, “I want to stay with you, to have you by my side. Not just today or tomorrow. Eternally.”

Something in the depths of Harry’s eyes flickered and then, the vampire was pushing Louis down on the bed, roughly claiming his lips in a kiss.

Louis moaned into Harry’s mouth, arching his body off the bed in an attempt to relieve the ache between his legs. Harry nipped at his bottom lip and Louis willingly tilted his neck back, peering up at Harry from beneath his eyelashes.

Harry let out a guttural groan, pressing wet kisses down the column of Louis’ throat until he reached his jugular.

“You always smell so delectable,” Harry murmured, pressing soft, almost reverent kisses, to the skin there, “You’re an addiction of mine. If I get a taste of you, I won’t be able to let you go, Lou. If I lose you again-”

“So don’t,” Louis panted out, tugging at the vampire’s hair to get him to look at him, “Make it so you won’t lose me again. Turn me.”

He remembered Harry mentioning the possibility of it in passing during his last life but neither of them had ever seriously considered it. At the time, Louis had been happy to remain human.

“You have no idea what you’re asking for,” Harry told him, thumbing at the younger boy’s cheekbones, “Why would you choose to become a monster?”

“I’ve spent years with you Harry. You’re not the monster you believe yourself to be.”

“I can kill people,” Harry growled back, “I _have_ killed people!”

“You’ve also saved people,” Louis reminded him, stroking his fingers through the vampire’s hair.

“If I turn you, it’s irreversible,” Harry said, “You would spend the rest of eternity battling the constant urge to drink blood, seeing every living creature as prey. Being like me is…it’s a punishment, Lou. The worst kind of punishment.”

“Nothing’s a punishment when it means I get to spend the rest of eternity with you,” Louis whispered back, “I know what I want Harry. I want you. Forever.”

He pulled Harry down for another kiss.

The vampire gave in easily and, when he pressed his lips against Louis’, it felt like an agreement. This time, the kiss was slow and meaningful, a promise and an assurance. Louis let himself melt into the familiar feel of Harry. It was so much better than any dream he had ever had. 

When he felt Harry’s fangs press against the sensitive skin of his neck, he moaned, wrapping his legs around the vampire and pulling him closer. 

“Fuck,” Harry breathed out and then, Louis felt a prick of pain followed by a kind of pure ecstasy he hadn’t imagined to be possible. 

He felt his body tense and the pleasure heightened, Harry’s hips moving against his in an erratic rhythm as the vampire drank from him.

He felt Harry hesitate; felt him pull back slightly.

“Do it,” Louis whispered, arching his back so his neck was exposed to Harry’s gaze, “Please, Harry? Make me yours.”

“Fuck, Lou,” the vampire murmured, brushing his thumb over the bite mark.

“Please?” Louis let his eyes flutter shut as he felt Harry move into position above him.

He gasped at the overwhelming pleasure that racked through his body as Harry’s fangs sunk into his skin, deeper than before. The vampire’s hips fitted against his and a few seconds of desperate rocking was all it took for him to cry out, his orgasm rushing through him. The last thing he heard before everything faded to black was Harry’s low moan of release followed by the whisper, “I love you, Lou.”

______________________________

Louis had been right. Nothing was a punishment when he got to spend the rest of eternity with his soulmate.

THE END 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic spiralled a bit out of control towards the end but I hope it entertained you a little. Comments and kudos always make my day so please leave one if you can <3 xx

**Author's Note:**

> I should have the next (and final) chapter up in a few days. Until then, comments and kudos are always lovely to get! :) xx


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